Sweets and Luke Royalty: Live
Last weekend, Sweets and Luke Royalty, the up-and-coming emcees who met at university in Manchester, headlined a stunning night of beloved tracks to a packed crowd.
Our Sunday got a little more exciting than usual when we got to see a special live performance headlined by the diverse duo, Luke Royalty and Sweets. Hailing from Newcastle and Darlington, the two met at university in Manchester, so it makes sense for them to have their first show together here in the city. We made our way to the Castle Hotel pub after a few drinks, a warm and intimate environment, which ended up being the perfect setting for their vibrant raps. The pub housed an eager crowd who were waiting for the talented songwriters to perform an exciting set of fan favourites and underrated gems, and they delivered on all fronts.
As it approached 9.30pm, Sweets walked on to the stage and was immediately cracking jokes and bantering with the crowd, before getting into the thick of it with a mesmerising set of crowd pleasers. Performing essentials like the moody ‘Ashtray Cowboy’, which had the audience hanging onto his every word, and the Grime influenced banger ‘Smoking Area’ which had everyone jumping.
One of the best moments of the night was his performance of his most streamed single ‘Yellow’. Sweets jumped into the crowd and brought the energy of the evening to new heights. Hearing everyone shout the lyrics to the hook was definitely a memorable moment for the crowd and the rapper.
‘Toy Story’, the latest collaboration from the duo was also a standout, as Luke boldly graced the mic alongside Sweets, and proved that they truly bring out the best in each other in a brotherly competitive fashion. The track is the Manchester equivalent of a sunny Tom Misch and Loyle Carner song, but shows their individual personalities and humour too. This was clearly an important moment for them, and they were having as much fun as the audience.
Sweets was spitting confidently on the stage showing the confidence of a young Mike Skinner, and he’s only just getting started with his career. As he left the stage, it was time for a smoke break before cramming back in to catch Luke Royalty end the night with a set that was just as stunning.
Luke came onto the stage with a fantastic live band that brought all his songs to life, making them even better in a live setting. There was not a dull moment for the entirety of his set, as he delivered on classics from his catalogue and interacted with the crowd between songs.
‘Stay Gold’ had us all singing along, the lively song lit up the crowd and showed that the Darlington emcee clearly has a talent for writing catchy hooks that get stuck in your head for days. With tracks like ‘I Do’ just a few plays from 100,000 streams on Spotify, its easy to see why he’s quickly becoming popular, and see the star potential in both of them. ‘I Do’ was an amazing highlight from the night too with its dreamy, nostalgic vibe, but nothing topped the shows final moments with the pair reuniting on stage.
They ended the show with their infinitely catchy hit ‘I Could Get Used To This’, a track with such an infectious hook its surprising its not being played on every major radio station across the UK. It’s been on repeat in my head since, and deserves everyone’s attention. By the time the night wrapped up, we were lost for words at the crowd control and energy the two managed to deliver. Luke’s portion of the show was captivating and showed us exactly why he’s quickly racking up streams and a dedicated following.
On Instagram, Sweets commented on the show saying ‘First time playing ‘I Could Get Used To This’ was a special moment for me and Lukey boy’. We were ecstatic we were there to witness the moment, and can’t wait to see them again soon, as they hopefully headline more shows and get more spots on festival line ups across the country. Keep your eyes peeled for new music from both on the way soon.